Toy or Pet

"Easy for you to say. If I'd confessed back then, would you have let me go?"

"Of course not. Once I discovered such an interesting secret, there was no way I'd let you go."

Kushida had been prepared for this, but hearing Hoshino say it as though it were only natural still nearly made her lose control.

Ignoring her reaction, Hoshino continued, "Your second mistake was not only trying to hide it, but also trying to threaten me."

Kushida was already past the point of caring. "I had no other choice!"

"But you completely misjudged the situation. You thought that kind of reckless tactic could intimidate me."

Kushida choked on her words. She truly had been too panicked at the time, which was why she had resorted to such a desperate measure.

"If it had been an honest guy like Hirata, maybe. But after what you did to me, the result is that I was originally only interested in you as a person, but now..."

As Hoshino spoke, he moved closer. Kushida backed up two steps until her back hit a tree trunk, leaving her nowhere else to retreat.

"I've started taking an interest in your body."

"Y-you'd better not try anything!"

"Heh heh, weren't you acting pretty tough just now? Saying I was assaulting you and all that. Why don't I try it right here?"

Hoshino's left hand suddenly reached toward Kushida. Before she could react, he clamped onto her jaw and forced her face up. Kushida raised her hand, trying to break free, but she could not budge him in the slightest.

This was not merely the difference in strength between a man and a woman. Kushida could feel that the muscles in his arm were as hard as cast steel. Clearly, this boy from her class had trained his body extensively.

Hoshino's other hand once again covered Kushida's chest, causing her soft breasts to change shape beneath his grip.

"Mm—ngh—"

Kushida struggled with all her might. Now she could not even form coherent words, only letting whimpers leak from her throat. Yet his immovable body told her that all of it was futile. Then—

"Didn't I tell you not to move?"

Hoshino warned her in a low voice.

"Even though Kushida looks quite voluptuous, you probably don't weigh more than fifty kilograms. I could lift you with one hand. But could your neck bear that weight?"

A devilish smile rested on Hoshino's face, while his gentle whisper bound Kushida's movements like a curse.

A sudden, tremendous force traveled through Hoshino's hand. The next instant, Kushida's vision went black. Then tearing agony shot through her, bringing her consciousness back. After several dazed seconds, she finally understood what he had done to her.

He had actually...

Though it had lasted less than a breath, the suffocation and pain were carved deeply into her memory, becoming a nightmare that would wake her countless times afterward.

All at once, strength drained from Kushida's entire body. Her limp form leaned against the tree, and her feet no longer seemed to be standing on solid ground. She was now only able to remain upright with Hoshino's support.

The primal terror called death surged over her like a tide. The scream caught in her throat dissolved into silent trembling. Her heart felt as though a giant hand had clenched around it, its pounding like a drum beside her ears. Cold sweat crawled down her spine like icy centipedes.

When that cold hand slowly moved down and caressed her thigh beneath her short skirt, the taut string in Kushida's mind finally snapped, and tears spilled from her eyes.

"...S-sorry..."

"Heh heh, that's still nowhere near enough."

Hoshino smiled faintly. The hand around Kushida's neck suddenly tightened, and he shoved the unprepared Kushida to the ground.

Kushida cried out in pain, staring up in terror at the calm-faced Hoshino.

Is it coming...?

The thought surfaced in her mind.

No matter how hard she racked her brain, this was an absolute dead end. Unless some miracle descended from the heavens, she could never defeat this man on her own.

Forget it. It's only my virginity. I should just submit to him and suffer less.

Kushida was already preparing to give up resisting.

Yet what happened next still exceeded Kushida's imagination.

The violation she had expected did not come. Hoshino stepped beside her and bent slightly, grabbing a fistful of Kushida's hair with his right hand and dragging her forward without the slightest tenderness.

The searing pain in her scalp left Kushida unable to resist. She could only scramble after Hoshino's hurried steps.

After walking a short distance, Hoshino stopped. Just as Kushida began to think she had survived another ordeal, she suddenly heard Hoshino say cheerfully, "First, instill fear. Then, inflict humiliation. Kushida's mental resilience is strong, so I estimate it'll take at least two rounds."

Before she could understand what he meant, Kushida lost her balance under Hoshino's push once more. With a splash, her upper body fell straight into the water. Hoshino had brought her to the edge of the artificial lake.

Though Kushida could swim, she still swallowed a large mouthful of water in the sudden chaos. On top of that, she had fallen awkwardly and had no time to brace herself. Her forehead struck a rock in the shallow water near the shore, and bright red blood flowed from the wound, turning her vision crimson. Not to mention the scrapes on her arms, shoulders, and elsewhere.

Ensuring she could breathe was far more important now. A few bumps and scrapes were nothing compared with the agony of drowning.

But just as Kushida tried to push herself up, Hoshino's low, devil-like voice sounded again. "Don't be in such a hurry, Kushida."

Hoshino's large hand pressed directly onto the top of Kushida's head, forcing her mouth and nose to remain beneath the water with irresistible strength.

How long did it last? Ten seconds? Twenty? Or a minute? Kushida had completely lost the spare thought needed to count.

By the time that large hand finally pulled her head from the water, it felt as though an entire century had passed.

"Cough, cough... cough cough cough... ngh—"

Kushida coughed continuously. By now, nothing remained of her usual perfect image. Without giving her much time to recover, Hoshino pressed her head into the water again.

After repeating this three times, Hoshino pulled Kushida up and left her sprawled by the lakeshore. Kushida coughed for a while and slowly recovered, but she still did not dare stand, merely lying on the ground and sobbing quietly.

"Now, stand up and face me."

Hoshino's cold words made Kushida shudder from head to toe. She did not dare disobey in the slightest, trembling as she climbed to her feet. Standing before Hoshino, she lowered her head and stared at the ground.

"Take off your wet clothes."

Kushida trembled. After standing blankly for several seconds, she slowly raised her hands, first taking off her jacket and pulling away her ribbon, then beginning to unbutton her shirt one button at a time.

Her snow-white skin gradually came into view. Her full breasts were gathered by pale lotus-colored cups into a deep cleavage, while her slender waist and abdomen formed a seductive curve without an ounce of excess flesh.

When Kushida bent down to pull open her skirt's zipper, Hoshino's raised hand made her entire body freeze, leaving her too frightened to move.

Hoshino's palm rested against her cheek as he extended his thumb and slowly rubbed it across the girl's cherry lips.

It was an extremely suggestive gesture.

Under Hoshino's cold gaze, Kushida tremblingly opened her mouth and extended her small tongue to lick his thumb.

"I-I'm sorry... Please forgive me..."

Hoshino looked down at Kushida's pale, distorted face, warped by terror.

"What I said before wasn't a lie. Kushida, you have a face every boy praises as cute, a body that stirs up fantasies, and the sociability to make use of your own charm and build close relationships with most people. I think highly of you in that regard. Originally, I would have wanted you to become my woman. But now, look at yourself. How ugly."

Hoshino sighed, then shook his head.

"I'll give you two choices. The first is to become my toy, a mere ornament that pleases me only with your body. The second is to become my pet. That way, when I have spare time, I can have you do things like fetch a frisbee for me."

Hoshino walked over to the stunned Kushida, took off his own jacket, and draped it over her shoulders. Then he bent down and picked up the jacket and shirt she had removed and thrown on the ground.

"Let's go. You have one night to think it over carefully."